US Ryder Cup Team 2012: Previewing Team Roster, Captain's Picks and Selections

Team USA will face Team Europe once again at the 39th edition of the Ryder Cup starting this Friday September 28 from the Course 3 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.

The once dominant American team wants to stop Europe's recent domination by reclaiming the Cup it lost at Celtic Manor in 2010.

To do this, the Americans must win outright by earning 14.5 points of the 28 that are up for grabs. This includes 12 points in singles matches on Sunday.

The Americans have the overall edge in wins with a record of 25-11-2, but the Euros have won six of the last eight and have tilted the power balance their way.

Both squads are loaded, but the Americans have a very strong and balanced team that features 11 of the 12 players ranked inside the top 17 in the world—one of the strongest teams in recent years.

The benefits of the home crowd roars and cheers, added to the fact that most of this players are as a team playing much better than their European counterparts going into the weekend should give USA fans hopes of a win on Sunday.

One thing is assured, we are in for a thrilling three-day roller coaster ride of emotions that would rival Bizarro at Six Flags.

Dustin Johnson

Johnson had to take some time off earlier in the year due to back injury just as he was returning from a knee injury.

He is one of the longest hitters in the game (fourth in driving distance on the PGA) and quite probably the most athletic. He has one win and nine top 10 finishes this year on the PGA Tour which is just one less than Rory McIlroy and Bo Van Pelt.

That includes four consecutive top 10 finishes in the FedEx Cup which helped him finish seventh in the point standings.

His recent play suggests he is rounding into his top form and that could spell trouble for Team Europe.

If he is paired with a player that could complement him like a Zach Johnson or Brandt Snedeker, they could form a formidable duo.

Steve Stricker

Stricker has one win and a second-place finish among his seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year.

He is far removed from the form that made him the top American ranked player going as high as No. 3 in the world last year.

Since late last year he has been dealing with the struggles of an on-and-off neck injury, and while he is still a very effective and accurate player, Stricker is not coming to the Ryder Cup riding high.

He dropped seven spots on the last week of the FedEx Cup playoffs to finish 20th and has been out of the top 10 in the world rankings since tied for 50th at The Memorial.

Stricker led the PGA Tour in Proximity to Hole, he just haven't been sinking the putts the way he is used to.

He is still very serviceable as his putting is still far better than most and could complement anybody on the team.

He will most likely see action alongside Tiger Woods with whom he went 2-1-0 in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

Webb Simpson

Simpson has one win (U.S. Open) and a third-place finish among his seven top 10s this year on the PGA.

Last year he was just a step from winning the FedEx Cup, but this year he was a non-factor although he finished climbing up nine spots on the final week to finish 16th.

He went into a funk after his U.S. Open win, but you could attribute that to the rustiness he had due to the time off to attend the birth of his second child.

His finish this last weekend could indicate that he is yet another American player rounding into form at the right moment.

Simpson is a rock-solid player that, even for a Ryder Cup rookie, has the mental toughness that requires to rise up to the occasion.

He is a very versatile player that would complement anyone he is paired with. At last year's Presidents Cup he looked great most of the time playing alongside Bubba Watson, and that could be a possibility here.

Bubba Watson

David Cannon/Getty Images

Cups Played: 1 (2010)

Ryder Cup Record: 1-3-0

USA Ryder Cup Position/Points: Second/5,815.054

Watson was at his peak when he won The Masters this year and then had to take some time off which included missing The Players Championship to spend more time with his then-recent family addition, his adopted son Caleb and wife, Angie.

Besides his major win, he has two second-place finishes among his seven top 10s this year on the PGA Tour.

He finished 13th on the FedEx Cup but has been gaining momentum on his last two tournaments which includes a tied for fifth finish at the Tour Championship this past weekend.

He leads the PGA Tour in Driving Distance and is second in Greens in Regulation. That is a deadly combination of strength and accuracy that makes Watson a must-play on all three days.

It shouldn't be difficult to find him a partner to complement him, given how many versatile players are on the American team.

Watson is one of the best players in the world creating shots, and at a course like Medinah, he will be feasting every day.

A pairing with the best putter in the game, Brandt Snedeker, is exactly what is left to complement Watson's game. They should form a formidable tandem that could go unbeaten.

Tiger Woods

Woods has three wins, one second-place and two third-place finishes among his nine top 10s this year on the PGA Tour.

He led at one point the FedEx Cup and had a chance to win it this past weekend with a win. He gave his fans hope when he was the co-leader after the first round, but like it has been almost the norm as of late he faded in the latter stages.

Woods is second in Scoring Average and fourth in Scrambling on the PGA Tour this year.

He has played in every single Ryder Cup session since he debuted back in 1997.

His strength on the Ryder Cup is his singles play where he has a record of 4-1-1. His struggles have been in the team format where he is 9-13-1.

He has been faring better as of late going 6-3-0, including the 2-1-0 with Stricker in 2010 at Celtic Manor.

Woods is the anchor of the American team once again, and what a better course to do it than the one where he has won two of his 14 major championships.